A Wi-Fi access point (AP) is a special purpose communication device in WLAN deployment which enables connection between wireless devices and wired network using Wi-Fi. APs are also the key enablers of WLAN deployment by establishing connections among different users in a WLAN. APs play a crucial role in providing highly reliable and secure wireless connection.

The Gigabit Wi-Fi access point (802.11ac standard) is the latest device in this segment. It is capable of offering high speed wireless data sharing at multi gigabit speeds. Gigabit AP is rapidly emerging as the replacement of its predecessor standards, such as 802.11n, for WLAN deployment due to its promising speeds of up to 7 Gbps and operating frequency band of 5 GHz.

Factors such as increasing demand for high speed Wi-Fi connectivity and prevailing use of laptops, tablets and smartphones for connecting to corporate networks, is driving the adoption of WLAN deployment, which in turn is fuelling the demand of high end access points.

Gigabit Wi-Fi access points offers several advantages including high data transfer rates up to the 7 Gbps, a cable free environment and less power consumption, thus reducing cost to a greater extent. Moreover, it guarantees utmost accuracy and security in transferring data, supporting all three wireless frequency bands, to access existing Wi-Fi devices.

In the recent years, the WLAN landscape has witnessed a transition from 802.11n i.e. conventional standards of WLAN deployment to 802.11ac and wave 2 802.11ac Wi-Fi gigabit standards. Growing demand for high speed data network due to increase in the data traffic and network capacity issues are fuelling the deployment of gigabit Wi-Fi networks, in turn propelling the adoption of these high end access points. Proliferation in the enterprise mobility services and adoption of advanced IT strategies such as cloud computing and big data analytics, are compelling the IT sector to seek gigabit Wi-Fi standards to support these data centric activities.

The market growth is further cemented by the proliferation of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), Bring Your Own PC (BYOPC) and Choose Your Own Device (CYOD). Furthermore, introduction of the latest Wave 2 802.11ac standard and government initiatives promoting provision of high speed Wi-Fi access in public places, is expected to boost the demands for gigabit APs during the forecast period.

Gigabit Wi-Fi Access Point Market: Segmentation

Gigabit Wi-Fi Access Market can be segmented on the basis of type of products and regions.

Wi-Fi Access Point are used for various applications includingreal time entertainment, web browsing & advertising, gaming, social networking and e-learning/distance learning. Currently, among these segments, real-time entertainment application segment have witnessed highest adoption of Wi-Fi access points. However, other application segments such as e-learning and web advertising are also offering potential revenue opportunities with the growing popularity of this products across educational institutions and business enterprises.

Currently, developed countries such as U.S., U.K and Japan lead the global market of gigabit Wi-Fi access points due to the heavy data traffic and subsequent high utilization of internet services in these countries. Also, majority of population in Japan and U.S. is tech-savvy and are engaged in the utilization of high speed internet, which in turn is fueling the deployment of gigabit Wi-Fi access points.

The developing economies such as Brazil, China, India and South Africa are witnessing high growth rates. The growth in these countries can be attributed to the factors such as development of the telecommunication sector, steady growth in the enterprise sector, subsequent rise in the number of new WLAN deployments and upgrades. Additionally, introduction of high speed data plans on frequent basis, increasing online (audio video streaming) traffic and growing adoption of e-learning programs are also propelling the market growth in this region.